Major NDIS overhaul passes Senate
Written by admin on August 22, 2024
The Senate has passed sweeping new reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, in a major legislative win for the Albanese government, after an emotional debate.
The government’s Bill aims to rein in the ballooning NDIS spending, amid forecasts it would cost taxpayers $50bn by 2025-2026 without urgent intervention.
Among the Bill’s measures is a cap on 8 per cent growth and tightened eligibility requirements for services in a bid to shave off $14.4bn over four years.
States and territories will also play a bigger role in providing support to NDIS patients under the reforms.
The Albanese government sees the overhaul as a big step to getting the NDIS “back on track”, but the disability community has taken a different view, with some saying the reforms will thrust people depending on the support scheme into uncertainty.
Even within the Senate, the Bill was passed with voiced apprehension from the Coalition.
In teary remarks to the Upper House, Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes said while she was not “filled with confidence” by the legislation, there were good elements that the Coalition would not stand in the way of.
But she homed in on the government’s pledge to co-design services, imploring it to engage the “people who genuinely need this scheme”.
“So, we will support this – please, please get it right. Please do more. Please work constructively with us to do more to make sure that people aren’t left behind,” Senator Hughes said.
Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John unleashed on the government and the Coalition, calling the Bill’s passage “a moment of pain, fear and fury”.
Senator Steele-John condemned the bill as “the greatest betrayal of our community ever perpetrated by the government.”
The Greens voted against the changes, as did Tasmanian independent Tammy Tyrell and former Labor senator turned independent Fatima Payman.
More Coverage
Former NDIS minister Linda Reynolds and NSW Liberal senator Maria Kovacic abstained.
The bill will now return to the House where it will be passed into law later on Thursday.
More to come
Continue reading
